This invention relates to a security envelope system and more particularly to a security envelope system having two or more distinct pockets with indicia which enable the pockets to be identifiable as being from the same envelope system.
There is a continuous need for security containers for the shipment and handling of valuable items. In addition to the use of such containers for money, such as the deposit of daily money receipts in a bank's night depository by retail establishments, other items of value must be transferred between parties. These include checks, bonds, stocks, food stamps, coupons, medical reports and sample, jewelry, confidential documents, etc. Because of the underlying value of such items, the containers must be of high integrity. In other words, the container should be capable of being handled during transfer without being broken or opened unintentionally to provide access to the contents. It should remain sound, secure and in tact from shipper to receiver.
Containers of this type have been known in the prior art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,018 discloses a container alleged to be disposable, of high integrity and tamper resistant. The container is formed of thermoplastic with an opening to insert contents. A flap with adhesive is closed over the opening and bonded to the container material. The flat has a detachable end, and both the flap and the detachable end have identical identification indicia thereon. The container also has tamper attempt indicating perforations running through the adhesive and indicia.
Another such security container is disclosed in European patent application No. 85308475.4, published June 4, 1986. Here a single container used as a security bag has a flap and lip which unite through activation of the adhesive. By the use of this structure, the bag cannot be opened without severing the material of the bag, thus, making the bag tamper evident.
The above described prior art discloses single containers having tamper-evident identifiers and identification indicia with a detachable receipt. These devices, however, do not address the problem of placing different classes of items in separate pockets which then must be identified as being in the same shipment at the point of receipt.
Many times a shipper will have different types of items to be shipped at the same time and in the same shipment, but is required to ship the various items in separate packages. However, at the receiving point, all the items shipped in that shipment must be identified as being received. An example of such a business situation is found in the retail store as a supermarket wherein such items as coins, currency, checks, merchandise coupons and food stamps are to be sent from the store to a counting house remotely located from the store by armoured carrier. In this case, each type of item would be packaged separately, but the receipt of all the packages in that shipment from that store would have to be accounted for as being received.
The present invention provides an envelope system with two or more, detachable or undetachable from one another, pockets for this purpose. Each pocket in the envelope system has an indicia and at least a portion of the indicia of each pocket is common with each other pocket in a particular envelope system, By use of this system, items can be packaged separately in a shipment, yet be readily identified as being part of the same shipment from a particular shipper.